MEC: Meeting & Event Catering

1. MEC:Meeting & Event Catering Beverage Trends

2. Learning Objectives • Understand the current beverage trends and patterns

3. Module Overview • Review beverage trends • Discuss specific beverages that are trendy • Discuss serving and sales gimmicks

4. Background and Rationale • Beverages come in limitless variety, virtually • Many come and go out of fashion quickly. There are severe implications for the selection process therefore

5. Key Terminology • Hard liquor • Martini • Spirits

6. Beverage Beverage Trends and Patterns • Flat wine sales – dropping in producing countries • Increase in light beer, imports and microbrews • Increase in specialty and retro drinks (sidecar, mojito, etc.) • Quality considered in expanding areas (tequila, rum, vodka) • More neutral (non-alcoholic) beverages • Most popular liquors: • Women – Vodka • Men – Scotch, followed by Vodka

7. Return of hard liquor sales • Premium Rum up 8% • Premium Vodka up 16% • Premium Tequila up 11% • Rye up 30% • (all 2009 over 2008)

8. Drinking Patterns • Av. 3 drinks per person at a reception • Las Vegas 5.5 • Chicago 5.0 • Washington, DC 4.5 • Orlando 3.5 • San Diego 3.0 • Honolulu 3.0 • San Fran. 2.5

9. Beverages • The martini refuses to die • Reinvented with sake, champagne, flavored vodkas and fresh fruit purées

10. Beverages • Mini bottle of Champagne consumed with a straw

11. Beverages • Better wines with meals

12. Beverages • Summer blender drinks will never go out of style!

13. Wine Tastings

14. Informal Wine Tasting • Attendees serve themselves • Use broken cases • Better price • Liability

15. Trends • Unoaked Chardonnays • Oak wines being replaced with more emphasis on the fruit characteristics of the chardonnay grape • Easier to enjoy with or without food • Sauvignon Blanc • New Zealand #1 • South Africa • Chile • California • Virginia

16. Trends • Obscure Grape Varieties • Torrontes • Bonarda • Carmenere • Albarino • Chenin Blanc • Less expensive alternates • Sparkling Wines • Champagne sales down • Less expensive sales up • Used for cocktails and punches: • Spanish Cava • Prosecco • French Cremant

18. Beverages • Shot glasses made out of ice.

19. Gazpacho Shooters • Bloody Mary gazpacho • Mix between a cocktail and soup • Served in a little sake cup or a shot glass

20. Cantaloupe Martini Trends • Retro with a Twist • Martinis, Mojitos, Margaritas, Sidecars, etc. • Reinventing with fresh new ingredients • Herbs • Spices • Unusual fruits and vegetables • House made mixers: sweet & sour mix, ginger ale, tonics, simple syrups infused with herbs and spices.

21. Sangria • Making a comeback • Wine with Fruit • Sangria Bar for brunch or cocktail parties

22. Rainbow Cocktails • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZNTelpaRYU

23. Wine Popsicles

24. www.rickbayless.com/recipes/wine_parings.html

25. Beer • Beer choices today are lighter such as Stella Artois, Becks, Heineken, Corona and Sol • Craft Beers • Beer Dinners • Beer Tastings • http://www.alabev.com/taste.htm • Beer Cocktails • Mixing beer with a distilled beverage • Beer Margaritas

26. Spirits • In the last two years, spirits companies have introduced more than 210 varieties of flavored vodkas, rums and tequilas; and dozens more “superpremium” varieties priced at an average of $25 a bottle and higher. • Super premium spirits are the most profitable of alcoholic beverages • Average gross profit margins are more than 20 percent for spirits, compared with 18 percent for wine and 15 percent for beer.

27. Cinnamon Schnapps Green Tea Vodka Flavored Liquor

28. Packaging • Trump Vodka • Painted with 24K Gold

29. Bong Vodka • From flavored liquors to the new Bong Vodka (named for the bottle’s shape), there are hundreds of new choices popping up to slake an apparent growing thirst among Americans to sip better — or at least more attractive and expensive — alcoholic beverages.

30. Celebrity Icons • They are taking cues from celebrity icons like Paris Hilton high-profile rappers, who have been spotted downing shots of the hot-selling Patrón Spirits tequila in Las Vegas. • Spirits companies have attached themselves to celebrities for the buzz they create.

31. Bar Set-up Variations

32. Beverage Pre-Mixed Specialty Drinks Use of Kegs Coffee bar

33. Vodka Luge • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6ikQthl97I

34. Beverage

35. Neutral Beverages

36. Hot • Iced Tea • Retro Sodas • Natural Wines • Hard Ciders • Cask-aged Beers • Dessert Drinks and Spiked Shakes • Wine on Tap • Beer Cocktails Coconut Water

37. GUS - Grown-up Soda • Carbonated • Real fruit juice and extracts • No artificial sweeteners • No preservatives • No caffeine • Star Ruby Grapefruit • Dry Valencia Orange • Extra Dry Ginger Ale • Dry Meyer Lemon • http://www.drinkgus.com/

38. Summary • Beverage variety are highly trendy and susceptible to fads • Creation of drinks are virtually endless in variety • Non-alcoholic beverages also come in large varieties providing much option to planners

39. Review Questions • Name several types of beverages that can be served at events • Name a few wine varietals discussed • Name several current beverage trends

40. Planning Ahead • Next Module • Module Six Suppliers • Providing other client services, audiovisual, entertainment, lighting, ground transportation, government agencies, and rental companies • Access Blackboard to view the Adobe Connect Recording by Sunday, Nov 6, 2011 • Reading(s) • Module 6 – Chapter 9 • Quiz 3 • Chapter 3 and 9